The present invention relates generally to protective eyewear used by medical personnel and particularly to composite optical lenses for use in protective laser eyewear. More particularly, the invention relates to composite optical lenses which provide an economical and versatile means to construct and provide laser eyewear.
Various protective eye glasses and eyewear structures have been utilized in the past and also proposed for use in specific environments. For example, protective eye glasses are commonly utilized by medical personnel when laser devices are used in various medical procedures. Prior art protective eye glasses typically utilize laser absorbing lenses constructed of glass which are heavy and costly or polymeric in structure providing limited protection. Further, prior art protective eye wear typically protect against a specified laser wavelength or wavelength range thereby requiring the user to ensure that the proper protective wear is being utilized during specific procedures.
The composite optical lens structure of the present invention overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by providing lightweight and less expensive protective eyewear structures which are versatile in design and which protect a user in a wide range of the laser wavelength spectrum.